On Tuesday, the FBI has confirmed that the remains investigators discovered on Sunday in the Teton-Bridger National Forest belonged to the missing 22-year-old woman Gabby Petito. The federal agency tweeted with a statement from the Jackson, Wyoming, corner. FBI said, “Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue confirmed the remains are those of Gabrielle Venora Petito, date of birth March 19, 1999. Coroner Blue’s initial determination for the manner of death is homicide. The cause of death remains pending final autopsy results”. Moreover, the FBI and local law enforcement agencies were searching for Petito over the weekend in a remote campsite area on the border of the national forest and Grand Teton National Park. On Sunday, the discovered remains were transported to Blue’s office for an autopsy, which he performed on Tuesday.
However, the agency hasn’t yet released the final report about the exact cause of death. FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider issued a statement and said, “The FBI’s commitment to justice is in the forefront of each and every investigation. The FBI and our partners remain dedicated to ensuring anyone responsible for or complicit in Petito’s death is held accountable for their actions”. Petito and her 23-year-old fiancé, Brian Laundrie, were traveling from New York to Oregon in a white 2012 Ford Transit van that they converted into a camper. Tipsters have suggested the pair was last seen together in late August in Wyoming near Grand Teton National Park. The family of Petito reported her missing on Sept. 11, weeks after she last spoke with her mother in late August.
#UPDATE: Investigators from #FBIDenver, National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Teton County Sheriff’s Ofc, Teton County Search & Rescue, and Jackson Police Dept searched for evidence in a remote area of Grand Teton National Park & Bridger-Teton National Forest. pic.twitter.com/l3PfIRBAtB
— FBI Denver (@FBIDenver) September 21, 2021
The FBI continues to find information about the homicide. Anyone can submit helpful information to submit to the FBI at http://tips.fbi.gov, 1-800-CALL-FBI or 303-629-7171. Point to be noted that Laundrie returned home to North Port, Fla., where the couple lived with Laundrie’s parents, 10 days earlier on Sept. 1 with no sign of his fiancé. Authorities recovered the van on Sept. 11 and started a forensic examination of the vehicle on Sept. 14. Laundrie is a person of interest in the case and has since also been reported missing. North Port law enforcement officers are continuing their search for any signs of the 23-year-old in an area of the Mabry Carlton Jr. Memorial Reserve not far from Laundrie’s family home. Laundrie family attorney Steven Bertolino issued a statement reacting to news of Petito and said, “May she rest in peace”.